Truss.



No. 641,547. A Patented 1an. I6, |900. n. noBEnTs.

TRUSS.

(Application led Aug. 23, 1899;)

` (No Model.)

W/TNESSES y /N VENTO/ ROBERT R. ROBERTS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OFV COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO ROLLO IV. BROWNE, OF SAME PLACE.

TRUSS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 641,547, dated January 16, 1900.

Application filed August Z3, 1899. Serial No.728,240. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT R. ROBERTS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington city, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Truss-Pads, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to surgery ;and it consists of an improvement in truss-pads for the treatment and cure of hernia or rupture. To effect this desirable end, I construct the pad, which may be made of either aluminium, hard or soft rubber, or any other suitable material, but preferably of soft rubber, in the following manner.

In the drawings, Figure l is a face view of iny pad. Fig. 2 is an 'edge longitudinal sectional view of Fig. l on the line :o x. -Fig. 8 is an end cross-sectional view of Fig. 1 on the line y y. `Fig. t is a perspective view of the lever. Fig. 5 is an end cross-sectional View of Fig. 1 on the line Y Y, showing the trusspad hollow.

The pad is applied directly over the ab.- doininal region of rupture.

A shows a raised oval disk in the center of the said pad. B shows a recession or groove surrounding said oval disk. D shows a second annular recession or groove. C shows a broken annular elevation between the recessions or grooves B and D. E shows the elevated rim of the pad, also broken in parts, the same as the broken annular elevation C. a shows perforations through the pad from front to back. b shows air-passages in the elevations C and E, the said passages being intended to ventilate o1' afford air to the skin of the wearer. c represents the lower end of the lever, having in it one or more perforations by which it may be fastened to the spring or web belt of the truss. It may be screwed, riveted, threaded, or otherwise secured to the same.

My pad is preferably made of soft rubber. When I make the pad of soft rubber, the raised or elevated oval disk A is made hollow and the hollow space is filled either with air, water, or any suitable fluid, in which case I use a metallic backing in constructing the pad in order to afford more firmness for the lever g and fastenings of the head of the truss proper. f represents the end of the lever g resting in the socket or the rounded cavity in the solid metallic top surface of the pad. t' represents a metallic plate fastened to the upper or back part of the pad by screws jj. The triangular recess h in said platee' is made so as to receive the triangular end f of the lever g, which will allow a tilting or side m0- tion of one-eighth of an inch and no more, thus accommodating the pad and truss to the natural movements of the body. The head f of the rod g is substantially triangular in shape and is thus adapted to t in the socket h of the pad for the purpose described above. I construct the pad in this manner so that the oval disk A, while securely pressing the bowels back through either the hernial ring or the rupture in the peritoneum or wall of the abdomen, does not act as a mere plug and by the motion of the body in walking thus enlarge the lesion, as is the case with most round-surfaced pads; but with my peculiarlyconstructed pad, as above described, while the protruding bowel is safely pushed back the circumambient skin and tissue are forced into the grooves or recesses B D surrounding the raised oval disk A, and the pad is thus securely held in place, and thereby aording immunity from the dangers of strangulated hernia.

Having described my invention, what I y claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

l. A truss-pad, oval in shape, in the center of whose face there is a raised oval disk, and near the periphery of said pad are small ridges, arranged annularly with spaces between them, said pad being provided with perforations from front to back, substantially as shown and described and for the purposes set forth.

2. A truss-pad, oval in shape, in the center of whose face there is a raised, hollow oval disk, and near the periphery of said pad are small ridges, arranged annularly, with spaces between them, said pad being provided with perforations from front to back, substantially as shown and described and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination of the pad, having in the center of its rear face, a depression; the

IOO

triangular in shape; the rod, having on one end a head, substantially triangular in shape, adapted to lit loosely in the socket, allowing a tilting or side motion of the pad, one-eighth of an inch and no more, substantially as shown and described and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT R. ROBERTS. Witnesses:

ALEX. J. WEDDERBURN, W. H. TIMMERMANN. 

